Interview with Maureen A. Miller

What is it about the creaking door, the raging wind that howls in the dark night, or the shutters that pound against the windows that keeps us wanting more? Today we are lucky enough to have a wonderful gothic author with us. Maureen A. Miller is talking about her soon-to-be released romantic suspense Endless Night. At the bottom of the interview, Maureen has been kind enough to give us a fantastic snippet of her novel. You will definitely want to check it out! And don’t forget to read the 5 Cup review Maureen has received from Coffee Time Romance & More! Endless Night

Why don’t you start off by telling us a little about your novel Endless Night?

I was always a fan of the traditional gothic romance complete with its dark setting and beautiful heroine in peril. With ENDLESS NIGHT I tried to create a contemporary version of the formula I used to enjoy from talented authors such as Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart, to name a few. 

When we first meet Megan in the story (after the prologue), she always seems terrified of just about everything. Did you know her courage was going to be strengthened by Jake?

In Megan’s mind, she does not see or recognize her fears. We as readers and Jake as a stranger witness her insecurities as clearly as if they flashed atop her head on a neon sign. It is Jake’s patient acceptance of her eccentricity that helps Megan identify her quirks and conquer them.

There is a certain tone to the story that is almost like reading a gothic novel on a dark and stormy night. Do you listen to any specific sounds while writing? (As an example I like to listen to The Phantom of the Opera when I am writing my reviews)

I don’t listen to music when I write, but atmosphere plays a big role on my productivity. If it is raining, the sound inspires me, particularly in a novel such as ENDLESS NIGHT.

Jake is such a strong character as he takes on not only his past but the terrifying ordeal that has taken over Megan’s life. Did you base him on anyone you know?

There are two styles of writing. There is the approach of using a meticulous outline, where the characters are all laid out and a chapter-by-chapter skeleton is created to determine their fates.  The other style is for the author to start typing and see where the wild ride is going to take her. I have used both styles, but in this case, Jake evolved out of that wild ride. 

Victory Cove seems like a town full of secrets. Do you know if there will be another novel in the making with the town as its setting?

My first attempt at a novel was a book called WIDOW’S TALE which earned a Golden Heart nomination in romantic suspense.  It is in that novel that the town of Victory Cove first came to be. The cold maritime setting fascinated me so much that I knew I needed to go back there and write a new story.

Wakefield House is a character all on its own. Have you ever lived in such a house yourself? Would you want to? Why or why not?

Heavens no! I jump at shadows, but through fiction I can live vicariously and pretend that I’m not afraid. Wakefield House would be a place that I would want to visit during the day, but I sure wouldn’t want to spend the night there.

Endless Night is a romantic suspense. Is there any other genre you write? Anything you would like to write that you haven’t? What about any type of genre that you would not want to even attempt?

I admit to being a traditional romantic suspense author, but with the book I’m currently working on I take a flying leap into what I would call the romantic-adventure genre.  We tend to write what we enjoy reading. I will read outside my genre, but at the end of the day when I sit down in front of the keyboard, romantic suspense will pour out of my fingertips.

On your website you mention your first written story was Super Watermelon Man. Do you remember what it was about?

Oh, I still have it! Complete with illustrations. It is about a watermelon named Gus who has been zapped by radioactive lightning. He grows to be the size of a tractor and develops the ability to fly. Unfortunately the same storm has struck a tomato that becomes his nemesis. When I went back and read the story again, the part that struck me as the most hilarious was that the farmer who owned Gus was no longer permitted to call him by that name. He had to address him as “Super Watermelon Man.”

What type of movies do you like? Do you have a favorite?

Without a doubt, Jaws! Brody, Quint and Hooper are some of the best characters ever written.

Do you belong to any social networks?

You can find me on Facebook and Twitter everyday!

Can you tell the readers a little about Chance Encounters?

I was blogging as the “Charlotte Romance Examiner” for Examiner.com, which meant that I was supposed to write about romantic things to see and do in the Queen City area.  The romantic suspense author in me reared its creative head though. Instead of using a journalistic approach to informing people about great restaurants in the area, I came up with brief fictional scenes that took place in these restaurants. It allowed readers to imagine what it would be like to eat at the establishment while also fantasizing that such a romantic encounter could happen to them.

I am going back to discussing Endless Night for a minute. If it were to be turned into a movie, who would you pick to star as the main characters?

This is always a tough question for me because I see Jake and Megan in my head and cannot come up with a Hollywood equivalent for either. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t enjoy the interviewing process should it be turned into a movie!

I see that you mention a book trailer coming soon. Do you have the link available so we can view it?

Here. Or you can go to my website and click on the Trailers tab.

If you were reading a novel and somehow you ended up being pulled into the novel, what novel would you choose? Which character would you hope to be?

When it is a cold and stormy night, it’s easy to transport yourself into a novel. I could see myself as Mr. Lockwood spending his first night at Wuthering Heights, reaching for that tree limb that is tapping on the window and feeling the touch of Catherine’s ghostly hand.  Of course a loud commercial will probably invade my thoughts and thankfully I will be back sitting on the comfort of my own couch.

Can you tell the readers something quirky about yourself? Maybe something no one else knows.

I once tried out for a show called, Putting on the Hits in which my friend and I performed as the group, WHAM!  No one knows that!  Well…now they do. 🙂

And one last question for you. In keeping with the Coffee Time Romance & More theme, if you were to be described as a flavor of coffee what flavor would you be and why?

I’m a classic breakfast blend. In the early morning hours I can tackle nearly every world crisis imaginable, but come 3PM I can’t tie my own shoes.

Maureen, I would like to thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I had such a blast coming up with these questions. I hope you had fun answering them!

You have been a gracious hostess, Danielle, and I have had a blast answering your unique and informative questions.

Without further ado, an excerpt of Endless Night by Maureen A. Miller:

Prologue

“You’re hiding from me, Margaret.”
Megan clutched the phone and slid to her knees, the tremors in her limbs rendering them useless.
“It’s only a matter of time.” His voice had the sinister resonance of an executioner uttering the words, any last requests?
Cradled in Megan’s lap, the GLOCK felt heavy against her thigh as her uncooperative fingers gripped the handle.
“You can’t live, Margaret.”
Those raspy words incited her very obliging finger to loop through the trigger.
“I know this cell phone is being forwarded, Maggie. That poses only a slight inconvenience.”
A low hum of static filled her ear, similar to the sound of an electrical tower. She tried to place the sound. Did it divulge his location in any way? Was he close? Panic wormed into her throat, preventing her from responding, although being mute was the best option. Any response would have been confirmation that he had located her, and she wouldn’t give him that one triumph.
 “It took some doing to even locate this number.” His chuckle was oppressive. “But if I had killed you that night, then I would have missed out on all this fun.”
Megan’s teeth bit down on her lower lip to contain her scream. She tasted blood.
“Sleep tight, Maggie. I will see you soon.”
There was no audible click, but the humming ceased. All that was left was the ragged sound of Megan’s breath, and the pounding of the boxer scoring a victory knockout inside her chest.
She dropped the phone on the floor, but retained her hold on the weapon. So many nights she had clutched it tight enough that her palm was permanently indented from the pattern of the grip.
But this night was different. For one year the phone had remained silent, and at no point in the last three hundred-some days had she let up. Never once was she lulled into security by his silence, knowing that this night would come.
Megan took a deep breath and looked up at the window. There was enough light left. She had a lot of work to do.

Maureen is such a talented author as she combines the suspense, romance, and gothic genres to make one outstanding read. Could you feel the overall scariness? Did it feel like the perpetrator was talking to you? Maureen A. Miller has a way of grabbing the readers and pulling them into the story. You do not just read the story, you live it. You can feel the criminal’s breath on your neck as he stalks his prey. The fine hairs on your body stand up as the story escalates and every gasp of air you take seems to be filled with danger. I hope you have enjoyed this interview. Please come back next time to learn about another great author!